SamanthaS Nightfire recently explored a Halloween haunt that was definitely not kiddie stuff, but "horror with a capital 'H'." "Forget the usual 'Boo!' kiddy stuff. As you desperately make your way through the dark, you'll have that sickening feeling that the child murderers, torturers and demons really are after you. You'll face your darkest nightmares. One question remains... will you make it out alive?"

Stage ONe ProductionsFeaturing Voltaire at a Vampire club calledAsmodeus I had great time lots of fun and this isaFabulous band made possible by WickmanGibbs and his partner Montana BallardVampire (236, 100, 49)

You thought that Burning Man 2 was all over. Guess what? Today on October 30th, Saturday, at 12:00 Noon there will be one more burn. It is a Skin Burn. You are invited to bring your avatar in skin only .. Yes skin only, no prims for a last burn .

Burning Man has a strongly clothing optional / decorated nudity culture - and they are bringing that to the virtual playa at Burn2. The Skin Burn is a special, final burn of The Man where all avatars on the playa will be at their lowest possible ARC and script load so the agent limits can be bumped as high as possible.

It's a party where you're invited to be creative with the idea - you can use skins and layers (but no prim attachments) to create a "look" that is funky and fun. What kind of skin? What kind of look? All kinds! Nekkid, painted, burning or clothed. Sexy, comical, radical, colorful, monochromatic, strange, bizarre, disgusting, obnoxious, creative, ugly, beautiful or creepy! Wear a couch texture! Or a flag! Zombie! Playmate! Whatever rocks your boat.

Before entering the playa you will have some help with lowering arc . The rangers and others will be available to help you so come on to this area: Gypsy Falls (68, 37, 406). After the burn stay for one last party !

After writing about pet horses in Second Life, Grey Lupindo came across a place truly made for riding a mount. The Raisin Ranch offers long winding trails to ride with great views. Plus once your ride is over, there are other ranch-themed ways to have fun.

"Horrorfest 2010 is a horror-themed charity event showcasing the dark side of SL. Held during the last two weeks of October to benefit the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, it features burlesque dancers, DJ events, exclusive items, and freebies."http://slurl.com/secondlife/Floyd/196/27/23/

"Historic Provincetown presents the third annual Halloween Adventure at Chateau du Fantome. This once stately mansion has fallen into disrepair and the formerly elegant interior is now ravaged by murderous villains, the bloodthirsty undead, and other nasty traps and surprises."http://slurl.com/secondlife/Provincetown%20South/233/249/21

"Spookyville has many haunted areas to explore, including the Dead and Breakfast Inn, Club Le'Casket, a witches' house and a spooky graveyard. For October, you'll find live music events to help you get into the Halloween spirit."

"The Rackingham State Hospital is an eerie institution haunted by past residents subjected to experimental treatments. Tour the hallowed halls of the patient ward, the hospital cemetary and the playground. Your visit is not complete until you venture down into the sinister cellar. Turn off your music and turn on your sounds. Listen to the cries and demands of the departed."http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hayle/158/199/22

Thursday, October 28, 2010

With Linden Labs recently having done away with it's discount on educational sims, the subject of teaching using Second Life as the platform has come back in discussion. Reporter Any1 Gynoid attended a meeting of teachers, talking about the subject.

On occasion, Second Life Newspaper will print an article or picture submitted to us by one of the readers.

Have you seen a particularly well-detailed sim? Went to a great event? Found yourself in a hilarious "only in SL" predicament? We're very interested in what you the readers have to say. Send us a story or funny picture, and if we like it, we'll post it as a Reader Submitted. For pictures, jpg format is preferred.

Mail submissions to bixylshuftan(at)gmail.com.

PLEASE include your SL user name and tell us if you wish it to appear with your story.Second Life Newser reserves the right to post in the appropriate section and to investigate any names used in submitted stories (please ask permission before using anyones name or picture or use an alias for them).

What is activism? Why might you want to be an activist (and when shouldn't you be)?

Learn how to create change and influence the "powers that be" (corporate, political, community, family, even interpersonal!). Sister Abeyante will offer specific tips for effective activism. She has been an activist most of her life and will offer examples and "tried and true" ideas. Join us for this one-hour learning opportunity.

With Halloween on the way, residents are looking for places to have a good scare. Some have been around for a while, others more recent. Yours truly recently checked out a few of these places with a friend, and wrote down the details.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

After a week, Burn2, one of the major festivals in Second Life came to a close. One of the two final events, the burn of the Crystal Lotus Temple. A Grid bug caused things to go slightly out of plan, but the magic of the moment was still there as the crowd enjoyed this climax of the show.

Monday, October 25, 2010

When a cancer survivor found herself in need, a number of friends got together for an event for the purpose of raising money to help, and have some music and fun in the process. And so on Saturday the 23rd came "SpUnKy’s Trick or Treat."

All three corners of the sims that touched the sim bearing the Man were full to capacity! Everyone was expectant as the minutes ticked off the clock to the first burn at 12 noon Saturday. Lamplighters danced and played their drums.

At the stroke of 12 the fires started in a circle around the base of the Man. Debbie Trilling did a wonderful job of the burning. They spread slowly up the structure until they touched the legs, then swirled upward until the entire Man was engulfed and began to drop bits and pieces onto the playa.

All were enthralled at the sight. Emotions ran high, as we dashed to pick up the logs that were thrown to the ground and carry them to the fire. There was dancing and merriment. I attended the last burn also and it was just as exciting, since for most of the avatars there it was their first burn and I felt the same emotions.

The temple will burn Sunday and Monday morning. The playa with its magnificent builds will remain until October 30. You can still expect to find some parties and other activities going on at various plots.

Shakespeare wrote quite a bit in his time. But suppose he came across something way out of his time, such as Second Life? How would he write about it? Today, we have something from Jacek Shuftan, depicting Second Life in the style of the legendary playwright.

In the SL Universe forums, Sextan Shepherd, the owner of the noted Nemo area would soon be closing. It is due to shut down October 29th.

“It was a great fun to create this place,” he posted, “but now it's time for me to "move" on another SIM project. ... I have learnt a lot while building this place and I consider Nemo as a training course for something more improved.”

The reaction on the thread was unaminous. The people there were sad the sim was going, and wished him well with whatever his next project was.

Nemo, also known as the Nemo Trilogy, was a much praised place in Second Life that was considered among the best built in recent months, built on March 23rd. It got the attenton of Linden Labs, and was featured on their Destination Guide as a place to go to. The place you start at is the entrance to a Steampunk style submarine city. From there, you can take a train that leads to a reproduction of Captain Nemo’s submarine the “Natulis.” There is also an ariel city, with an ariel museum and an observatory.

Saturday 16th October at 5pm SLT - Author Rae Lori hosts a fiction writing class and get-together around the campfire. Newcomers welcome. Rae Lori is Rae Larkham on Second Life.

Sunday 17th October from 9am SLT until 11am - Poetry Spectacular with readings from the poets displayed in our Burn 2 Arts Poetica Gallery. Take a free frame to exhibit your own poems and join in with the open mic after the readings.

Sunday 17th October at 2pm SLT - Author Rae Lori hosts a fiction writing class and get-together around the campfire. Newcomers welcome. Rae Lori is Rae Larkham on Second Life.

Monday 18th October at 3pm SLT - Sounds of Poems Special. The 22 performers from Second Life's longest running spoken word poetry show entertain you with selections of their favourite poems.

Tuesday 19th October at 5am SLT - Write-in around the campfire for one hour. Let's get together and write on the subject of The City. Free laptops and a table with writing animations to get you inspired for an hour of focussed writing.

Wednesday 20th at 1 pm SLT Author Arlene Radasky (Imarad Breen) will present information and answer questions on recording and publishing your work as a Podcast. Imarad is an author who has had her book, The Fox, published on Podiobooks and Audible.

Wednesday 20th October at 2pm SLT - Written Word Writers' Circle. This open mic invites you to get up on stage, or sit back and be entertained, with writing in all forms on this week's theme The City. Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, humour, or even song!

Thursday 22nd October at 2pm SLT - Writing group Castellatura will host an event about famous Spanish speaking authors. Mikel Baryl will make a short introduction to them and read some of their pieces.

Friday 22nd October at 3pm SLT - The Short Story Discussion Group will meet around the campfire to talk about this week's story. Pop over to the camp during the week to get a copy from the box by the campfire. All welcome.

Saturday 23rd October at 5pm SLT - Author Rae Lori hosts a fiction writing class and get-together around the campfire. Newcomers welcome. Rae Lori is Rae Larkham on Second Life.

Sunday 24th October at 2pm SLT - Author Rae Lori hosts a fiction writing class and get-together around the campfire. Newcomers welcome. Rae Lori is Rae Larkham on Second Life.

Friday, October 22, 2010

In less than two weeks, it will be Election Day across the United States as voters head to the polls to elect their Congressmen and cast their ballots in other races. There are a number of places to discuss politics in Second Life, both left and right. Today, we check out the right at the GOP Cafe as they held their Thursday chat.

An all day music festival from 10AM to 10PM October 23rd 2010: Trick or Treat for SpUnKy

SpUnKy Young is a woman of great courage. In the almost 3 years we have known her, she has always worried about other people more than herself. She's one of those rare people who is willing to go the extra mile for others, with little regard to whether such effort is good for herself. She is a Cancer Survivor who works hard to make each day count. Her medical condition has long kept her housebound. SL is the lifeline that has allowed her a measure of Freedom and Normalcy.

Several Relay teams have organized a fund raiser to help SpUnKy replace her laptop, which has recently failed, as well as to help her with her other expenses. SpUnKy's laptop is her Lifeline and SL is her Family. Without this critical tool her quality of life and her battles will be infinitely more difficult.

Please put on your best Halloween costume and help us meet our goal of raising at least 250,000 L - more if we can.

This Event is co-sponsored by The Relay Wizards for SpUnKy, The Passionate Redheads, The Relay Rockers, T-1 Radio, and the Kingdom of Avalon.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Well, after looking at the fun activities going on in sl as reported by Grey and Bixyl, I went to look for some décor at my favorite freebie holiday décor place: Relaxation, The Corner of Revolving time.

Vickijo Rivera, the owner always makes sure there are great free items there in the Geodome. This year Sweetsister Silverstar has placed some wonderful ghosts and ghouls for your taking. I picked up some wonderful trees to put on my roof and some pumpkins and scary textures that are low prim, all free.

Outside in the garden area Saucy Loire put some really cute inexpensive items to decorate the outside of your home or island. There is also a TP spot to take you up in the sky where Sweetsister has some terrific bargain items to round out the decorations. There I bought some arches, and floating ghosts which I have been leaving around various places where I can rezz them.

The 1st Question "The Quiz Show to The Stars" will be moving from its regular berth to its BRAND NEW TIME! Sundays at 4:30 - 5PM, come to the Studiodome for the best live game show in the metaverse. The new time means we are in front of a much bigger international audience, serving a multitude of time zones.

We have the same wonderful crew - Hydra Shaftoe, Kat2 Kit & Emmo Wei backed up by the best in Petlove Petshop & Robwag Soothsayer. Pooky is working overtime to make sure we snap, crackle, and laugh out loud for the new tighter format.

Usually in the New Bastogne and Fallout sims in the WW2 RP area, pitched battles last an hour or two at most. But on October 12, it went on for hour after hour. One of SL Newser's reporters dropped in to see some of the match, and an unexpected ending.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

After about four months as interim CEO, working closely with Bob Komin, the management team, and the board, we've decided we are ready to start the search for a new CEO. I'll be leaving day-to-day management of the company and continuing in my role on the board, including helping in the search to find a great CEO. I will also be continuing my work with my new company, LoveMachine. Bob will lead Linden Lab while we conduct the search. It's been an intense few months of transition, and we all feel like we are in a better place now, with a clearer sense of direction and more focus, and are ready to bring someone new into the mix as a leader.From the Linden Blog.

In a Community post on the official blog on Saturday October 16th, it was announced that a winner had been selected in the “Philip Linden 2.0” contest. Philip had gone through the numerous submissions of proposed avatars, and finally chose the design made by Mars Absent of “The Abyss.” He was reportedly “thrilled” with his new appearance, of which the old spikey hair now looked much more natural. But the clothes didn’t change much. He was still wearing his trademark “Rocky Horror” lips T-shirt and the codpeice over his groin.

The Community post itself was closed to comments. The only resident-created forum thread seemed to be a debate more about whether or not he had the right to wear that shirt due to 20th Century Fox’s copyright than the new avatar. In the Second Life Universe forum thread on the subject, reaction was mixed. Some liked the new look. Others thought it left something to desire, or felt the contest was a waste of time.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Last week, 33 miners trapped over 2,000 feet underground were rescued one by one in a heroic operation that attracted attention around the world. Second Life was no exception, in which Any1 Gynoid found a tribute made by one Chilean resident.

This weekend, reporter Grey Lupindo had some scary Halloween fun, or rather, scary-cute Halloween fun. The residents and friends of the Syzygy sim hopped over to the cartoonish Lunamaruna, and then to Spookyvile, where lots of scary fun awaited.

On October 13th in the Second Life Blog, Jack Linden announced that the Mesh Import Beta was open to all residents, “Mesh Import allows you to bring models into Second Life from the many popular 3D tools such as Blender or Maya(t), using the COLLADA file format. We see this as an important step to empower content creators to make the inworld experience an even richer and more creative one than it is today.”

Those wanting to use the Beta will need to download a special Mesh Viewer, which will gain them access to the Aditi test grid. It’s sperate from the Main Grid, so anything done there can’t be moved back with you. To help out, a few walkthroughs are available to follow. Residents are reminded the same Terms of Service of the Main Grid also apply here, so only material a resident has rights to can be imported.

Although the base technology that drives mesh is in good shape, we still have some way to go before this is production ready. We wanted to get it into your hands sooner, versus later, to get your feedback. You should only take part if you’re comfortable with beta software that may crash or cause content that you’re working on to break in unexpected ways. In addition, the product design piece -- the user interface -- still needs some work so you can expect that the interface for mesh will change and improve over time. The Mesh Project Viewer will auto-update as we ship updated versions, so when there’s a new version, then you’ll be prompted to install it.

For the beta Grid, the maximum size of a prim was increased from 10 m to 64. This change may soon be main on the Main Grid soon, depending on how these larger prims perform.

The next day on October 14th, FJ Linden announced some new developments for improving performance on Second Life, results of Philip Linden’s “Back to Basics” directive. To combat the “jitters” residents in a sim sometimes got whenever a new resident, especially a number of new residents about the same time, the “slow point” in the code was moved “to a seperate thread.” Faster texture loading times were aimed for, with reduced latency time for Viewer 2. A new group chat service under development was announced, with “test deployment ... by the end of the year.”

The 25 group limit will be raised to 40, with the “qualifier” that if it results in more lag they’ll roll the limit back. There was also a new Main Grid code deploment process, from three to four times a year to a weekly basis. He also announced the “Display Names” Feature was now in public beta, and mentioned the Mesh import beta of the previous day.

Response to the Mesh release was overall positive, with several people reporting some bugs. To the new tech developments, most everyone was happy to hear they’d be able to be in more groups, though a few expressed reservations about the possibility of having to give them up later. Of FJ Linden’s statement lag was being reduced, numerous residents responded they hadn’t noticed any less lag on the Grid.

For the complete blog post on tech improvements and responses, Click Here.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Besides the better known vampires, furries, and tinies, there is one avatar made with aquatic environments in mind: the merfolk. Reporter Any1 Gynoid took a closer look, and was so inspired by these avatars, she became a mermaid herself.

With so much going on in Second Life, we ended up missing the 48 Hour Film Project Machinima Event late last month. This turned out to be a bigger mistake than we thought, as noted British Film director Peter Greenaway came onto Second Life to give a speech there, giving a few opinions on the subject of machinima. Fortunately, Chantal Harvey recorded the event for us to show.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

On October 13, the Playa of Burn2 opened to the press. We were able to roam the sims and check out the magnificent builds that have grown from the soil of the desert. There are amazing sights and experiences waiting for all the visitors when the Burn2 opens to all on October 16.

Before you enter the gates you really should visit the “What is Burn2” site. Here you will learn about the real-life Burning Man on which the Burn2 in virtual life is based. The greeters will be waiting to meet you at the gates and help you if you need. They will have some gifts for you too.

As you arrive at the Art Department area, you will find a tent full of goodies for you to take with you, gifts from the generous builders. You will pass the Lamplighters Village, so stop there for a free drum or two. The Ranger Station is nearby . Rangers will be throughout the playa to assist with any problems that arise. Look for them in their distinctive hats. They are available for helping visitors too.

This year the theme is Metropolis -Civilization in the desert. So you will see all sorts of magnificence, and also simple builds . You can’t miss the Reno build from a distance. There are fewer sims this year, so you may be able to take in all the exhibits. Last year though, I was there every day in my ranger role. I know I missed some. Many are interactive, so get in there and try out everything. There will be many activities .. Stages with shows and dancing and DJs. Make sure you check out the porta-potties that have been decorated for your comfort and are all around the sims. Open the doors and poke your head in and admire the artistic fun.

Ever wondered if it's possible to do meaningful volunteer work, even if you can't leave your house or bed?

It is!

The National Service Inclusion Project is going to share with us lots of information about virtual volunteering options. They will help us match our interests and skills to causes. We will learn about communication, accessibility, and support while volunteering.

The National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP) is training and technical assistance provider on disability inclusion, under a cooperative agreement (#08TAHMA001) from Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). NSIP partners with the Association on University Centers on Disability, National Council on Independent Living, Association on Higher Education and Disability and National Down Syndrome Congress to build connections among disability organizations and all CNCS grantees, to increase the participation of people with disabilities in national service.

The event is at Friday, October 15, Noon SLT at The Sojourner Auditorium on Virtual Ability Island at (56, 169, 23).

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Today, we offer a story on a talented singer in Second Life: Kaeko Freenote. Our new reporter Nova Halderman recently had the chance to interview her after being at one of the musician's performances. Kaeko describes a little of her life on the Grid, and her music.

I like to explore around, and while there is no shortage of places to look around in SL, this is entirely new territory. With the troubles in Second Life, some residents are looking for alternatives just in case land becomes to expensive to own, or worse.

One alternative some friends told me about is Inworldz. Described in its FAQ as "a Virtual World initially based off the OpenSim software," they gave it a try, and liked it. While sticking around in Second Life, they return occasionally to keep an eye on goings on.

So yours truly decided to give it a try. I downloaded the client software and ... it didn't work. But the Imprudence Viewer could also access Inworldz. So I tried that and ... made it. But I was cloudy, things took longer to rez than in Second Life, and in less than a minute I crashed. I tried again, and crashed again seconds later. Third time was not the charm, crashing again in about a minute.

A friend told me that the newest version of Imprudence was more stable, so I downloaded that and gave it a try. This time, I lasted long enough for me to check my inventory and find a cloud-dispeller. I managed to walk a short distance, then lag hit, stopping me in my tracks. I was able to pan around, but after a few minutes I crashed.

It looks like Inworldz isn't an option for me, at least for now. Other virtual worlds? Blue Mars has gotten some talk, but as it's not Mac compatible, it's not an option for me. Getting a PC? As a blue-collar worker, buying one just for access to a second metaverse is not exactly a smart use of money.

So for now, it looks like my only alternatives to Linden Labs are World of Warcraft and Facebook.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Erix Oh has proven himself as a security system designer. But when meeting up with Second Life Newser recently, something else was on his mind. It appeared to him that many residents in the Grid didn't have a clue about how scripts affected lag, and wanted to say a few words on the subject.

The 2010 Jewelry Fair opened October 8 at Jewelry Fair Beauty's Castle Nor, located at Jewelry Fair 3 (184, 190, 21).The theme of the Fair is Beauty and the Beast.Approximately 100 vendors have set up shop in the magical village surrounding Beauty's Castle.Every type of jeweled creation can be boughthere.There are lots of freebies available, too!

The organizers have lined up charity auctions, entertainment, demonstrations--even a kissing booth.Oxfam International has been chosen as the charity recipient this year. Proceeds from the vendor fees, specialty auctions, and some events will go to this group.Many of the vendors are pledging all or part of their proceeds to the charity, too. Oxfam International is comprised of 13 organizations, working in 99 countries, to alleviate poverty and injustice. More about this charity can be found at www.oxfam.org.

Beginning Monday, October 11, demonstrations and classes relating to jewelry making will be held.A complete schedule of the classes and times, as well as a convenient list of landmarks, is available at the site.